


Working Back

by Back_At_It_Betty



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Spies & Secret Agents, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2019-07-13 00:39:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16006655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Back_At_It_Betty/pseuds/Back_At_It_Betty
Summary: Three years after Endor, Luke Skywalker- fighter pilot, Jedi Knight- is trying to keep a dying religion alive. Purely by accident, he finds a little more than he’d bargained for while playing archeologist on a long abondoned world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress and also the first thing I’ve written in- like- 10 years, honest, gentle critisim is appreciated. Just as I hope this is. I love time travel stories. Also I’m drawing liberally from both new and old canon but also not sticking to either religiously so- sorry I guess?

The sun was just cresting over the the hills, colouring the low fog that rolled into the valleys overnight a soft pink to match atmosphere. Luke had woken just as the sky has started to lighten as always, a holdover from his childhood on Tattooine and work as fighter pilot.He’d turned on his flashlight made caf just as the sky had started to go from black to blue and now sat back on his folding camping stool. THe mornings were Luke’s favourite time of day, especially on a world such as this. He took his time surveying the valley from his campsite at the top of his own personal hill. Rivers had carved through the mountains over millenia, snaking to the lake at the bottom of the valley.A small smile curved across his lips as he watched steam rise from his mug, listening to the soft chirping of the local birds as they started their hunt. It felt like the whole universe had just started to wake up.

 

Setting down the mug, Luke pulled a small holorecorder out from the rucksack at his feet, and took a picture. He looked down at the device to check the image. He smiled in satisfaction, pushing a few buttons to send it the onboard computer of his X-Wing to send to Leia along with a short message.  _ Good morning, starshine! It’s a beautiful day on Dacana. Only a 6 hour walk to the temple, but the groundcover is messing with my comms. Had to leave Artoo with my baby. Happy 28th. I’ll bring you back something second hand. Xxbb  _

 

After the battle of Endor three years prior, Leia and Luke had decided to keep both their heritage and relationship secret, at least until some stability could be found within the fledgeling New Republic. As far as the galaxy was concerned they were dear friends, colleagues at arms from the war. Luke sighed a picked a piece of lint from his new hiking trousers. Dark grey and quilted, Leia had bought them for him before he left Coruscant to explore the small Jedi temple nestled in the middle of the lake below, along with the dark green knit sweater and dark blue bomber jacket he now wore. After a lost quick swig of his caf, Luke began to break down his campsite, packing the tent, stool, bedroll and thermal sleepsack away in rucksack. He then took time to rearrange his pack to ensure he had easy access to food and water. Chances were he’d make camp by the lake or the temple itself over the next couple of days, to ensure Artoo could send him any messages that may come in in the meantime. 

 

“Artoo!” Luke raised his voice so the little droid could hear him from the top of his X-Wing. “I’m heading out. Let me know if you need anything while I’m gone, okay?”  He paused and received a terse reply “That’s insane. Every 2 hours.” 

 

Artoo gave a rude trill. “Fine- every hour and half until I make camp”

 

Artoo shrieked “Yes, I’m staying overnight. Maker give me strength, Artoo. I’ll be back in two days at the latest.” Another series of ill tempered twittering “I can’t believe I’m losing an argument with a droid. You win. I’ll check in every 45 minutes.” Luke turned around and started to walk away, but stopped when artoo gave a sad wine. He paused, back to the droid and gave a small smile, then schooled his features to look appropriately somber before turning around. “I’ll miss you too, buddy.”

 

Luke set off down the hill, following the ancient footpath carved into the mountainside, humming tunelessly to himself. He had a very good feeling about today. Today, Luke was going to find some holocrons.

 

—

 

Five and a half hours later, Luke arrived at the lake’s edge. According to the records Luke had found deep in the basement of the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the temple he was looking for, and any information about the old Order, was just on the other side of the pristine blue expanse. He sighed and stretched his hands to rest on the top of his, surveying the lake shore, looking for a way across. His keen blue eyes caught sight of a smooth rock outcropping. Reaching out with his feelings, he felt a tether stretching from the white rock out to the island, twisting ropes of light spiralled under the waves, ebbing and flowing like seaweed along with the movement of the lake. “Gotcha” Luke smiled to himself, making his way to the outcropping.

 

Sinking into the Force, Luke tugged gently and the bridge of light hiding under the waves. The water started to churn away from itself. The wind picked up suddenly, whipping Luke’s short hair around his forehead and tickling the stubble on his cheeks. Suddenly, went completely still and a bridge of white light twisted out from under the waves. Luke nodded to himself with a satisfied smirk and make his away across. The bridge buzzed happily as he stepped onto and sang him farewell once he made it to the other side. Once on solid ground again, Luke spun around on light feet and gave the sinking bridge of ropey light a casual salute before making his way to the entrance of the temple. 

 

The temple itself was beautiful but small from where Luke stood, Made entirely of tightly weaved flowering vines, reaching up to form a cone. It didn’t seem as if it was built so much as grown. As he got closer, a vine seemed to shift in front of his eyes. One tiny branch reached toward him. THe end shifted and became bulbus. Suddenly a white flower burst from the stem presenting itself to him as if to say hello. He laughed, caught off guard but the gentle beauty of it, a broad smile brightening his face. He plucked the flower from the stem and tucked it behind his ear. 

 

“Happy birthday to me, too, huh?” He said to himself before ducking under the entrance into the warm darkness of temple. He stopped for a moment letting his eyes adjust a bit to the dark. Reaching into his utility belt, Luke flicked on a hand torch. Immediately the harsh light showed illuminated the wall no more than 3 metres away from him.  More importantly, though, was the stairs built into the middle of the floor rolling down into the earth. A thrill went through his body as he stepped forward and down, even as the temple itself seemed to wrap itself around him like a warm blanket. Somehow, as he made his way further down the stairs, the air became warmer and dryer, until he reached the bottom.

 

Both feet on  flat ground again, Luke took in the room he found himself in. The vines in the entrance had been replaced by smooth marble, forming a perfect circle. He took a step toward the wall, but stopped, looking back and feeling absurdly guilty for the trial of dirt he left behind from his boots.His light on the floor, he almost didn’t notice as the veins in the marble started to glow. Luke spun around to see the same cold light crawling up the walls. Behind him he heard a loud groan and spun back around toward the staircase just in time to lift from the floor. 

 

“Awe, shit!” Luke lunged toward stairs but the ground seemed to drop out from under him. For once crucial moment, his left foot slipped across the smooth floor, sending him to one knee. Catching himself with his right hand, he launched himself into the air, using the Force to push him further. His fingers grazed the bottom of the staircase and then they were gone. He hit the ground awkwardly, wrenching his knee and landing hard on his right hip. 

 

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, forehead resting on the cool, bright stone, and breathed through his nose. He let the Force flow through him, soothing his frazzling nerves. 

 

“Dammit.” he allowed himself one moment of self pity before turning on his side to look around the now well lit cell he found himself in. He wasn’t sure if the floor had dropped or the walls changed shape but all around him, set into newly revealed recesses in the walls, were artifacts. In one nook, two holocrons leaned against one another, one glowing a soft blue, the other a sort of orange-ie yellow. Another, lower to the floor, was stuffed full of old flimsy notebooks. Luke rolled to his knees and shuffled to the papers. Pulling them delicately from their ancient home, his torch, and the stairs momentarily forgotten as he shuffled through the papers. A rush of raw emotion rolled through him- elation, wonder and trepidation all at once. His fingers shoot lightly as he ran them along the faded ink of the pages and read the titles: ‘Love and Order: The path to balance’, ‘Jedi and the Wider Galaxy’. The names went on and on. 

 

Luke took a deep breath and shook his head. He could read them later. Setting the documents on the ground gently, he shrugged out of his rucksack. Rummaging around, he pulled out a flat, hard sided case and set it next the papers. He opened it quickly ad shifted the documents in side, then nestled the case back inside his bag before slinging it over one shoulder. He made his way to the largest recess in the room when his comm went off.

 

Sighing, he pulled the device from his belt “Hi, Artoo. I’m fine.” A flurry a beeps greated him from the other side 

 

“An earthquake? Look, I’m a little busy. I’m in the temple and I’m fine, the stairs that took me down to this room are gone-” He was interrupted by a rude bleat “‘Trapped is a bit of stretch, Artoo! Look, we can still talk. I have a rope. If I’m not on the surface in the next 3 hours, call the whole fleet if you want. I just found something very interesting. I’ll call you back in 45 minutes. I promise.” 

 

Artoo sent him a series of stern beeps “I promise, Artoo. Now get some rest, before you overheat your capacitors.” One more, softer beep came through the speaker. “I love you too, buddy.” Luke hooked his comm back to his utility belt next to his lightsaber, mind already fixed on the artefact ahead of him.

 

It was a statue, perhaps two feet tall, and depicted two long limbed humanoid beings holding each other by the hands, their body’s arching away from one another to form a perfect circle. Something about it- How it seemed like they were still in movement, the near transparent nature of the stone it was carved from- drew Luke towards it. He didn’t think he could look away, even if he wanted. 

 

Without really thinking about what he was doing he reached forward, with one hand and brushed his fingers across the point where the two figure’s hands met. 

 

In an instant his body froze in place. An electric current shot through his body. Luke tried to scream but even his vocal cords were frozen. His eyes- stuck wide open- began to water. The veins in the rock began to shift and change colour. As they writhed around each other, Luke felt himself being pulled forward, the statue, then the wall, swallowing first his hand, then his forearm. The Force itself seemed to bend, roll backwards and suddenly break open. Blooming around him like a supernova. This time, Luke was pretty sure he did scream.

 

—

 

30 years in the past, Obi-Wan looked over the smoking remains of the battlefield. They were lucking this time, most of the casualties were from the other side, so most of the dead were metal. With a sigh he looked behind him to where Anakin and Ahsoka were talking quietly with Rex and Cody.  _ That doesn’t mean this war hasn’t taken anything precious. _ He thought to himself as he caught Anakin’s eye briefly. His old student seemed more on edge as time went on. Always waiting for the next fight. And Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan wasn’t sure how much longer he could chase him and Ahsoka around the galaxy. Ahsoka was still a child at 16, and the longer they fought, the more Obi-Wan wanted to sweep her away to some far away planet and to keep her away. 

 

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Looking back across the wreckage. The Separatists had fought hard today, hard than usual, even, and, yet again, Dooku hd managed to escape, along with three quarters of their fleet. Obi-Wan knew there was more to this battle than met the eyes, if only the Force would calm down enough to let him see.

 

“General Kenobi!” Cody shouted, waving him down to the rest of the group. “We have an urgent message from the council.” Obi-Wan sighed and skittered down the wreckage of the tank he was standing atop. Halfway down though, he lost his footing- the air went suddenly hot and dry and he couldn’t see. It was as if someone had punched a hole right through him, Distantly he heard Anakin shout as well. But then he was falling. 

 

Luckily there wasn’t far to go and he caught himself on his hands and knees in the dust, retching at the nausea that welled up in his gut.  He clenched his eyes shut at breathed through the pain. DIstantly he heard his name. Was it pain? He couldn’t tell. A strong hand wrapped around his shoulder and shook him gently. Obi-Wan couldn’t help it, he let out a sickly squeak and shook his head. 

 

“General!” He could make out Cody’s voice now “What happened? Are you alright?”

 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear his head. “I don’t know, Cody. But I intend to find out.”

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not know when I’ll update next. But, like, at least there’s two chapters today.

Luke woke with a start and immediately let out a loud groan, screwing his eyes tightly shut he pressed his forehead into the smooth marble floor.

 

“Ow.” he said softly, trying to even out his breathing, he was lying twisted on the ground. The only thing he’d managed to notice so far was that he felt as if he’d been pulled apart  atom by atom and slammed back together using a hammer. 

 

“Ugh.” Slowly he rolled all the way to his belly, moving his hands to his sides to lever himself up to a sitting position. He reached out with the Force and instantly regretted it. The world he touched was chaotic. A shouty kaleidoscope of feeling and possibility. It was so so bright Luke could hardly look at it with his inner eyes, he pulled himself back and opened his physical ones. 

 

It was then that he noticed a familiar red glow and ominous hum. He could feel the heat of the lightsaber near his cheek,singeing the stubble on his chin. Luke gave a horse shout and rolled onto his backside, scrambling away before he could lose anything important. He’d made it just out of striking range when his body seized, struck still by a sharp bolt of lightning. He doubled over, one leg curled under his butt, the other stretched out in front of him. His left arm collapsed underneath his own weight for a moment and he found himself prone once more. Not just just some Emperor wanna be, then. 

 

“Do not move, boy.” A cultured voice growled from no less than a metre away. Luke took a deep breath and looked toward the sound. An older human man stood- straight backed and very very tall. 

 

He had a neatly trimmed white beard and was dressed all in black, a fine cape draped over his shoulders. In his right hand he held a red lightsaber pointing at the ground, his left was pointed at Luke’s chest.

 

Luke took another deep breath, shuddering- just a bit- from the electric shock he’d just recieved. He really wasn’t in any position to fight back “Yeah, okay. I’m just gonna sit up, though. Okay?” He straightened his right arm slowly holding his left out in front of him so the other man could see it clearly. The other man stepped closer, lightning dancing between his fingers dangerously. Luke stopped.

 

“How did you get into my chambers?” The man asked. Luke couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he’d seen the man’s face somewhere before. 

 

“Your chambers?” Luke asked dumbly, casting his gaze around the room for the first time. “Oh. Your chambers.” 

 

A grand bed sat under a large stained glass window behind him, a fine dark wood desk to his left. His hand slipped a bit on the dark marble under his fingers. He found himself staring at the rock underneath him. The dark marble.  _ Dark marble.  _ He thought, furrowing his brow. Cautiously, he opened himself to the Force again, ready this time for the sudden breadth of it. Immediately around him was darkness, but the webbing of the universe itself seemed whole in a way he’d never truly felt before, at least not consciously.

 

A brief electrical shock ran through his body again, less than last time, just enough to numb his fingers and toes and send him back down to his elbows. “Shit!” he croaked out as his caught himself before he could bloody his nose on the fine stone floor.

 

“Who sent you?” The man said, Luke looked at him again, eyes wide and feeling more than a little insulted. The Force whispered to him, just far enough away to make whatever was said muddled and inaudible. 

 

“Uh.” Luke paused, slowly opening the door in his mind to the universe a little more. 

 

_ Count Dooku _ . The Force whispered. Luke froze- mouth hanging open wide enough to catch flies. “No way.” he said out loud. The man- the impossible man in front of him- moved forward again, lifting his saber under Luke’s chin, forcing him to lift his head or burn a hole through the bottom of his skull. 

 

“Would you like to try again?” Count Dooku asked, voice smooth and cultured and dangerous.

 

Luke shut his mouth, heart in his throat. He licked his lips, panicked blue eyes meeting the other man’s. “No” the saber moved to his adams apple, burning just enough “I mean- yes. I don’t know. No one sent me.” Luke’s voice came out higher than he’d like, breath bursting from his lips in short gasps. He was very near panic. He let out a short hysterical laugh. 

 

_ I’ve traveled back in time. I’m a time traveller.  _ Luke thought.   _ I’m in the past. Because of time travel. _

 

Dooku’s face tightened disapprovingly and he raised his left hand, lightning sparking once more. “I am not in the mood for games.”

 

“Me, neither.” Luke shot back. 

 

This time when the lightning hit him he was ready for it. He used the momentum of the blast to roll away. Releasing his pain into the Force Luke pulled his own blade from his belt and blocked the next volley of electricity, shifting to his feet in one smooth motion. Luke shifted his right foot behind himself, making his body a smaller target, and lifted his saber in front of him. He took a deep breath, bleeding his anxiety into the Force.

 

Dooku smiled. “Cleverer than you look.”  Luke decided he didn’t like that smile. 

 

“I get that a lot, actually.” Luke began to inch around the other man, taking his eyes off him to eye the distance to the enormous wooden doors on the other side of the even larger room. The door swung open two large droids stomped through followed by 4 rolling ball droids. They fanned out around Dooku and the balls unfurled themselves to reveal the most blasters Luke had ever seen on one creature. 

 

“Not clever enough, it seems.” Dooku gloated as Luke turned to cover his now exposed side, shifting his saber to left hand and pulling his blaster from it’s holster with his right. “Who are you?”

 

Luke paused. It had been a very long time since he’d had to answer that question. He felt a sudden lightness at the new found anonymity. A boyish small cut across his scarred face, as a plan seemed to explode into the forefront of his mind. He remembered the stories his Uncle Owen had told him of his grandmother before she was freed, what his Aunt Beru had told him of her own family’s history as freedmen. He remembered the prophecy that led Ben to believe his father to be some sort of saviour. This was a good plan.

 

“Skywalker” Luke said, adding a little cocky flair to the end.

 

Dooku gave a mean bark of laughter. Good. “You are no Anakin Skywalker.” Even better.

 

“I never said I was.” With that Luke lifted his right arm and blasted through the stained glass over the Count’s bed and bolted for the window, swinging the loose strap of his rucksack over his right arm so it sat firmly on his back. He didn’t need it’s weight to pull him off balance now.

 

Blaster fire erupted from the other side of the room. Filling the air with molten fire. Luke opened his mind the the universe around him, letting the force guide him through the maze of laserfire. He rolled to the ground blocking a bolt meant for his head and sending it back the way it came. He didn’t wait to see it land before squeezing off a shot from his own blaster. It pinged off the shield of the rolling droid, but would have been a clean headshot. 

 

With one last burst of speed Luke jumped through the window and into the open air. 

 

—

 

“Smile!” Leia looked up from where she was reading her report at the dining table, just in time to see Han snap a holo.

 

“You keep that up and I’ll make sure you’ll never meet your son, Han Solo.” Leia said, allowing her voice to take a threatening tone.

 

“How are you gonna do that when we live in a 2 bed flat together, sweetheart?” Han was already tapping away on his comm, a distracted smile on his face.

 

“I’ll create a complicated system of randomly opening and closing doors.” Leia could see he was about to hit send “Han! At least let me see it first! Who are you sending it to?”

 

“The Coruscant Star.” Han said as he put his comm unit away, smiling brightly. “I’m gonna be rich.”

 

Leia smiled back at him “Ha Ha. Very funny.” She reached toward him, making grabby hands. “Give it.”

 

“I just sent it to Luke.” He said, leaning over and kissing her lightly on the cheek, hand settling on her swollen belly “C’mon, birthday girl. I have a very special surprise for you.”

 

Leia had a pithy retort on the tip of her tongue when a shot went through her heart. It felt like something was tearing inside her, but inside her body. It felt very close and far away at the same time.

 

“Leia?” she heard Han’s voice as if she were underwater “Leia, what’s wrong?”

 

She grabbed his hand and held it to her heart, breathing in through her nose and out her mouth the way her birthing coach had taught her. She had to catch her breath. She had to tell him.

 

“Luke” Her voice was surprisingly steady, event to her own ears. “Something’s happened to Luke.”

—

He let gravity take hold of him and fell to the ground. Just before he landed he gathered the force to cushion his fall. Luke quick rolled to his feet, turning his blade off and clicking it to his belt. It was late evening here. The sun was just starting to set. No use keeping it on and drawing attention to himself. He was in  a large courtyard, beautifully appointed but brutal in it’s construction. Quickly, he ran to a shadowed overhand, taking a moment to get his bearings. Alarms sounded from within the building and a spotlight swept passed where he’d been a moment before. 

 

Luke took a deep breath, eyes scanning the empty expanse in front of him. He needed a ship. Where could he get a ship in a castle? He slipped the rucksack from his back and began rummaging inside it. With a soft exclamation of victory he pulled a small plasteel square from his pocket. It was a handheld heat mapper. A gift from Chelli Aphra he’d received instead of an apology for the time she’d tried to sell him to a soul eating insectoid queen. He held it to the wall behind him, pushing a button on one side to activate the lense. After a few moments a blue lined schematic of the building appeared on the screen.  

 

Shoving the device into utility pouch, Luke made his way to the small service door 10 metres to his right. If the map was accurate, and Luke was sure it was, he could follow the corridor all the way to hanger two flights up and steal something hyperspace worthy from there. 

—

The supply tent was an eerie shade of green and smelled of explosives, but Anakin was simply happy for a place to sit and catch his breath. After the force had ripped itself in half and restitched itself back together in a matter of seconds, Obi-Wan had stood on shaking legs strode over to Anakin and all but dragged him the to the tent, Ahsoka  hot on their heels. The three now sat in silence, trying to gather their thoughts.

 

Ahsoka was the first to speak. “What happened?” She said softly, sounding more like a child than she had in months, years, even.

 

Anakin’s head shot up “You didn’t feel that?” His time was sharper than intended. He winced at the hurt look that crossed his padawan’s face but he didn’t apologise.

 

“There was a great disturbance in the Force, Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan spoke from where he was perched on his own crate. “Like something forced its way through the very fabric of the universe.” 

 

“But why would only you two feel it?” Anakin shot Ahsoka an annoyed look but bit his tongue.

 

“I don’t know Ahsoka, maybe Anakin and I aren’t the only ones. Maybe some members of the council felt it. Maybe it’s a Separatist trap.” Obi-Wan ran a tired hand over his face. “We won’t know until we call the council.”

—

The service door to the hangar was closed, which was fine by Luke. He paused, hand on the control panel and reached out with his feelings. Taking in the life on the other side of the metal plate. He could feel droids moving from ship to ship but the empty path they carved within the Force, checking fuel levels and carrying out minor repairs. Only two or three organic beings in the room. _ Good. _ Luke thought.  _ I’d very much like to not murder anyone today. _

 

Luke knocked a wrench from where it was sitting on some crates in the far corner, causing it to clatter loudly to the ground. He could feel attention shift into the room. Now was his chance. He hit the door key, and the plate slid up into the wall. Luke slipped into the room and ducked behind a bank of maintaince lockers, as the door slid shut again behind him. 

 

He peered around the bank, taking in the ships in front of him. Some speeders and and short range fighters, the fanciest yacht Luke had ever seen. As pretty as it looked, there was no way Luke was going to try and escape in a ship he’d never seen before. In the far corner, however, near the main doors, he saw a Slayn and Korpil H-2 shuttle. It was the only thing he had any idea how to fly with a hyperdrive in the hangar, so it looked like Luke had found his ride. 

 

Luke made his away along the wall of the hangar, sticking to the shadows as moved toward his target. He’d made it parallel to the ship, and was preparing to run across the open floor when the doors to the rest of the castle burst open, admitting those same droids as before, along with two  Magnaguards and, most worrying, Count Dooku. 

 

Thinking fast, Luke grabbed one of the hulking droids with the force, spinning it toward the Magnagaurds and depressing it’s blaster trigger all at once. Not expecting friendly fire, one Magnaguard went down without a fight, while the other took of the nearest large droid’s head with it’s staff. The second large droid Luke spun in a circle, keeping the trigger down and sending blaster bolts through the room. 

 

Distraction made, Luke darted across the open floor and up the lowered ramp to the shuttle. The hull was still hot to the touch, which was a good sign. It was possible it was preparing for lift-off or someone had recently landed. Just as Luke disappeared into the bowels of the shuttle He sent a blaster bolt of his own down the barrel of a laser cannon attached to a small atmospheric fighter sitting on the far end of the hangar.”Sorry” He muttered as the ship exploded, blocking Dooku’s path.

 

Luke reached the cockpit and was happy to see repulsors were still online. He flicked on the navicomputer with the Force, glancing briefly to find out where in the galaxy he was.  Raxus Secundus. It wasn’t great, but he could work with that. A jump to Falucia and then hop to Nar Shadda to ditch the shuttle and he was set.

 

Moving back to the task at hand, he took the controls for the repulsors and began to to shift the shuttle up and toward the large doors. It was much slower than he’d prefer. One hand on the controls, he reached over to flick sublights and hyperdrive systems back on. While they warmed up, Luke maneuvered the lumbering vessel out the doors.He managed to keep her steady as she left the hangar, but once she was out in the air the wind took her for a ride. A shout of warning from the Force gave him just enough time to roll the ship to it’s side, narrowly avoiding a large laser blast. He kicked power to the aft repulsors and pushed her has hard as he she would go. Finally, after an eternity Sublights went green. 

 

Luke hit the command code to switch from repulse to sublights and kept acceleration in the red, shooting off into high atmosphere Bursting into space he was ready for the battle ships waiting for him. He rolled the shuttle to avoid another volley of laser fire. One hand on the joystick, he keyed in the coordinates to Falucia.

 

Egging the engines just a little harder, he buzzed the top of the battleship shooting at him. One hand reaching up to the hyperdrive lever. The stars turned into long lines. He’d made it. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Felt the rift, I did, as well, Obi-Wan.” The reedy voice from the holoprojector said. “Strange, it is, that only the three of us felt it. Hmm?”

 

Obi-Wan shot Anakin a quick look  _ Not now.  _ He thought as loudly as he could at his dear friend.

 

“No one on Coruscant felt it either” Mace Windu’s ever present frown deepened, impossibly. “At least as far as I know.”

 

Obi-Wan couldn’t seem to shake his pounding headache. He closed his eyes briefly and in that moment of self reflexion, Anakin- of course- took advantage.

 

“I think-”

 

“It’s possible the Force was speaking directly to the three of us.” Obi-Wan interrupted his former student and sent him an uncharitable glare. This was a council meeting that Anakin had been invited to as the events directly concerned him. The other man was powerful, a keen strategist and good friend, but when it came to matters of the mystical Force, Anakin was next to useless. Additionally, he was being incredibly rude.

 

“Why the three of you?” Shaak Ti broke in. “What connects Masters Yoda, Obi-Wan and Knight Skywalker?”

 

“It could be that Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker are closer to the event?” That was Plo Kloon.

 

“We are!” Anakin nearly shouted at the gathered council members. “But it’s in the Outer Rim, in Separatist territory, probably. I can find it. I know I can.”

 

“You can?”

 

“It is?” Obi-Wan and Mace spoke at the same time.  Though Obi-Wan admitted he did a poor job of hiding the small stab of betrayal he felt at Anakin’s words. It was a small thing, but the Jedi Master missed the time when his friend would speak to him.

 

“Do this, how can you, Knight Skywalker?” Yoda’s voice cut through Obi-Wan’s feelings of self pity.

 

“I don’t know exactly.” Anakin said, hesitating a bit.  _ Good _ . Obi-Wan thought to himself. “But I saw where it was. Felt it for a second too I think.” Another pause. “It was panicked and confused.” Anakin- finally- shot Obi-Wan a guilty look. 

 

“Feel it now, can you?” Yoda asked, keen eyes finding Anakin’s through the the holorecorder.

 

Anakin licked his lips, shifted his eyes to Obi-Wan nervously. “Yeah. Yeah I can. I think he’s-“ he shook his head “It- whatever- I think it’s in hyperspace now.”

 

Obi-Wan sucked in a sharp  breath, he spoke, newfound worry colouring his voice. “You can feel him right now?”

 

“Yes”

 

“Return to Coruscant, at once, you must. A trap, this may be.”

 

Obi-Wan could see Anakin’s lips tighten  in annoyance, blue eyes going cold as ice. “We should be trying to intercept it!”

 

“We’ll expect you in two days.” Master Windu spoke “Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker”.

 

One by one the holos of each council member flickered off. The two friends stood in silence, neither man looking at the other. Obi-Wan gave a deep, weary sigh.

 

“Anakin-” he started but was immediately interrupted.

 

“I have to prep the troops. We can’t just leave them on  Onderon without orders.” Anakin turned and stormed toward the door of the tent.

 

“You need to tell me these things, Anakin.” Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin by the arm, spinning him around.

 

“I’m not your student anymore, Master.” The younger said acerbically. 

 

“I’m not asking as your teacher, Anakin. I’m asking as your friend. Are you alright?” Obi-Wan said kindly. The measured patience in his voice not quite reaching his eyes.

 

Anakin snorted. “I’m fine”

 

“You are not fine, and I cannot help you if you won’t talk with me.” Anakin shrugged out of Obi-Wan’s grip.

 

“I don’t need your help, Obi-Wan.” this time, his former student sounded defeated.

 

“Anakin, please.”  The man in question looked around, sighed heavily, reached out and grabbed Obi-Wan by the back of the head.

 

“Fine.”

 

Obi-Wan blinked. He felt Anakin pulling him through his mind, along a pathway very much like their Padawan bond, but older, softer, and somehow primal. It felt to Obi-Wan like a half remembered song, a soothing hand along his brow, and the gentle sound of rain on wide leaves. He blinked again, saw the lines of hyperspace, felt a strangers mind- then suddenly, he was back in the tent with Anakin.

 

—

 

Silvery blue clouds swirled passed the viewport. It was nearly enough to keep Luke from thinking about the fact that a living Jedi temple had thrown into the past. 

 

“C’mon, Luke. Get it together.” Taking a deep breath, he turned the pilot chair around to the comms terminal behind him. He’d ditch the ship at Nar Shadda, use the credits to get something smaller and be at Dacana in two weeks time. He’d be home by the end of the month. 

 

He ran his hand through his hair, which he’d recently cut short on the sides in an effort to even out the blunt fringe Wes Jensen had convinced him was fashionable for nearly 3 years. His fingers ran against something satiny. He plucked for foreign object from behind his ear. He stared, trying to place the small blue flower in a new environment.

 

Just over an hour ago he’d plucked the little bud from the Jedi Temple on Dacana in a fit of whimsy. Now, however many years in the past, he was holding that same flower between his thumb and forefinger.  Already roots hard started to grow from the plucked stem of the little plant. 

 

_ That’s strange.  _ Luke thought, distantly.  _ It’s putting down roots. _

 

He felt a tugging at the back of his mind, in the place where Luke kept the memory of his father- Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker- alive. A presence materialised there, both hot like a sun going supernova and cold like the sucking vacuum of space, and then Ben Kenobi was I his mind for the first time since Endor. Ben and someone else. 

 

Vader.

 

Before he even realised what he was doing he slammed the connection to his father closed, Locking his mind up tight. His father was alive. Ben was alive. His mother was alive. His aunt and uncle were alive. Bail and Breha Organa were alive.

 

“Oh” he said to the flower. The sound escaped his lips without a conscious thought. “Oh.”

 

Aldaraan was still alive. All those people, a whole planet- Jedha and Scarif too- Faleen was still habitable. Kyshyyk was free. The roots of the flower twisted around his thumb, a comforting warmth emanating from it. 

 

“Okay.” Luke stood abruptly, leaving the cockpit and marching toward the dining area. “I need a better plan.”

 

—

 

They landed late on Coruscant, which suited Anakin just fine. He’d slipped out of his rooms in the temple earlier, takin a swoop to Padmé’s penthouse. Now he stood in front of the door leading to the reception room. It had been a few months since he’d seen her last, and he felt his belly rumble nervously in anticipation.

 

“Padme?” Anakin entered the main house with more caution than he normally would. 

 

“Anakin?” His wife came around the corner from her study, wearing a loose dress she’d belted at the waist. “I thought you were in the outer rim. What are you doing here?”

 

“The council recalled us. Something strange has happened.”

 

“You’re telling me!” Padmé took him by the hand and led him into her study. “You would not believe the comm I just finished. Look at this.” She flicked on her secure comm unit, immediately, an image of a human man, a few years older than Anakin appeared in the space above Padme’s desk. 

 

Looking at the holo, Anakin could see something familiar, in the curve of the man’s chin, the lines around his eyes. Anakin could see the man’s nose had previously been broken, under his stubble, the remains of a scar could be seen on the right side of his face. A small flower was tucked behind the man’s ear, his hair cropped short on the sides, but longer on top, parted to one second de and curling down near his eyes, despite the washed out blues of the recording, Anakin could tell his eyes were light, either grey or blue, possibly green. Padmé had paused the image almost immediately. 

 

“Anakin” she started softly laying her hand gently on his chest. She paused, taking a deep breath as if fortifying herself for something terrible. “Anakin. Do you think-“ her eyes fluttered closed “If your mother had had a child before you.” Her dark eyes opened, staring into his “would Shmi have told you?”

 

He took a step back. Laughing slightly confused “Told me what?”

 

Instead of answering Padmé played through the recording. The image went from a still of the man’s face to a recording in a grand bedroom. It seemed to be taken from the optical sensors of a droid. The man from his back to his feet and Anakin could see he was shorter than the average human. Slim but with wide shoulders, like a gymnast. As he came to his knees he ignited a lightsaber. The image froze again. Anakin watched, transfixed, as the man’s intifying information scrolled across the screen.

 

Wanted

Species: Human male

Skin: light beige

Eyes: blue

Height: 1.72 metres

Last name: Skywalker

First name: unknown

Warning: armed and dangerous, force trained.

Wanted alive

 

“Anakin” Padmé started “could your mother have had another child she never told you about?”

 

Anakin couldn’t seem to move his eyes away from the image of the man before him. The parts of him that seemed familiar before, the curve of his cheekbones, the line of his brow, fell into  place. 

 

This stranger looked like his dead mother.

 


	4. Chapter Three

Luckily for Luke, the diplomatic shuttle he’d stolen had been stocked with some very nice clothes, including a fine long hooded coat that would keep him from getting too wet in the downpour he’d landed in the middle of. Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, Luke ducked into the rain from the safety of his ship’s hanger. He thought he could get a pretty good deal on the ship and its contents if he could just find the right sort of bar. Unfortunately, over the past thirty years Nar Shadda has changed quite a bit so he was reduced from wondering from cantina to cantina, looking for promising contacts that could build him a decent ID card that could get him onto Scarif. He also needed somebody to buy his ship, sell him a new one, help him track down a top secret construction site, find some mid level military officials, and then get him to Coruscant so he could assassinate a head of state. Which, in Luke’s mind, was a lot to accomplish while trying to avoid drowning while standing on dry land.

He dashed across the street, keeping his head down to avoid the rain, and made it the to the cantina door he was aiming for, he ducked under the eaves quickly, tossing his hood back from his head. “Ugh. God.” he muttered to himself as he shoot out his coat. Taking in yet another dingy bar with keen blue eyes. The rain on Nar Shadda was gritty and awful. Luke shook his hands away from his body as he moved toward the central bar. “Hey” Luke said “Can I just get a tea?” 

The woman behind the bar, a haggard looking middle aged human, laughed in his face “What? This look like a teahouse, fancy man?” She snorted “You want a three course meal with that?”

“Fine. I’ll have a gin and tonic.” Luke leaned over the counter “and if you could point me in the direction of the best slicer here, I’d really appreciate it.”

—

Anakin entered the dark bar cautiously. He never liked these sorts of places, but somehow, they always seemed to be the kind of place Obi-Wan chose to meet with his former padawan. Anakin immediately found in a corner, lit by a dim, flickering candle, a glass of red wine already in front of him.

“Isn’t it a little late to start drinking?” Anakin asked, not expecting an answer.

“I thought you could use the stress releif.” Obi-Wan smiled gently. “What do you need?”

“I got some intel from the senate tonight.” Anakin paused “I think it has to do that tear in the force.”

The other man looked down at his glass, a wistful sort of smile tugging at the corners of his eyes. “You certainly are well connected for a man who hates politics.”

Anakin didn’t laugh. “Master.” He paused,  sat down. He put his hands on the tables, clasped together tightly, but then decided that gave too much away and moved them to his lap, fidgeting with the edge of his tunic. “Obi-Wan” 

The other man paused, moving his drink to the side, he reached his hands across the table as if to comfort Anakin but stopped. Clasping then together.  Anakin took a deep breath and ploughed on. 

“Do you think my mother could have lied to me?” He asked, voice shakier than he would have liked.

“What?”

Anakin couldn’t look the other man in the eyes so he dug around in his pocket for the holo-recorder. He delicately set in next to Obi-Wan’s clapped hands and turned it on. It started rolling the recording, the flash of lightsaber. Then I paused on the man’s face. “He looks about 5 years older than me. That’s old enough for a human child to separated from a parent.”

The text scrolled through the still image. Obi-Wan was looking at it worriedly. “What are you saying?”

“He’s force sensitive. Older than me. He looks like my mother.” Anakin paused taking another deep breath. “What if I have an older brother?”

—

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Liam.” Eli Montefur, the twileck hacker Luke had hired to go the Scarif with him, handed Luke his forged ID. “Because I still think it’s really stupid idea.” 

Luke slipped he little chip I’m the pocket of his stolen Republic uniform, then reached up and fiddles with the small cap atop his head, smiling warmly at the other man. “Don’t worry, Eli, I’ve had worse ideas for getting into much worse places than this.”

Eli’s nose wrinkled as he grimaced dramatically. “Oh wow, that instills confidence in a guy.” His lyrical Ryloth accent really lent itself to friendly distaste, Luke thought to himself, a little taken about by the rush of affection he felt as he thought it. After Luke had hired Eli, introducing himself as Liam, the two had begun preparing to infiltrate Scarif. Eli had created ID chips for the both of them. One for Luke denoting him as an intelligence officer for the Grand Republic Intelligence Agency, and a contractor ID for Eli. Luke had also sold the diplomatic shuttles he’d stolen for something smaller and faster, with a single laser canon. And managed to pawn most of clothes jewelry and nicknacks aboard. As of right now, he was richer than he’d ever been in his life. Luke wouldn’t go so far as to say he was having fun. But he was definitely enjoying the company.

“Just think of the bragging rights you’ll have once we get back.”

The proximity alarm warning them that they were approaching hyperspace exit sounded.

“Last chance.” Luke moved toward the cockpit a jaunty hop in is step. He had a good feeling about this.

—

Obi-Wan looked at the stranger in the holo, frowning. He could see the familiar line of his jaw in the man across from him. He’d seen them before in a different holo Obi-Wan studiously pretended he didn’t know about. The one of Anakin’s mother that the younger man hid under his mattress at the temple. Looking at the man sitting across from him hands twisting restlessly on the edge of his tunic, Obi-Wan suddenly felt-for the first time in a very long time- as if he were about to cry. Obi-Wan said what he always said when he was out of his depth or afraid. “We should tell master Yoda.”

Anakin looked up sharply “What? No! They’ll never trust me if we tell the council.”

“I’m not saying tell the council-“

“No.”

Obi-Wan took another deep breath. He was not in the mood to argue with Anakin, especially about something this life altering and huge. “What if it turns out he’s not who you think he is, Anakin? What if he turns out he is? Have you thought this through at all?”

Anakin looked suspicious “thought what through?”

“You want me to go with you to hunt down this stranger.” Obi-Wan said tiredly “You don’t want to tell anyone else, because you think they’ll think you’re weak or a bad Jedi.”

“That’s not true!” The couple at a nearby table both looked over sharply. Anakin lowered his voice.  “I want your help. Why can’t you just help?”

“I’m trying to help, right now.” Obi-Wan said a little too sharply. 

“Fine. I’ll do it myself.” Anakin stood abruptly and headed for the door.

“Anakin” without thinking , Obi-Wan went to follow him. “Anakin. Please.” The other man wasn’t going too quickly, more keen on making a point than getting away,  so Obi-Wan caught up with him I’m a matter of seconds.

“I’ll come.” Obi-Wan said “after all, I can’t let you go roaming around the galaxy o your own. You may get lost.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, readers! Life got in the way and this was sort of a no fun to write interlude chapter. I hope to have another one up Sunday, but things are pretty crazy right now. Hope you had fun? Let me know!


	5. Chapter Four

“You ready?” Luke stood by the airlock, index finger hovering over the unlocking mechanism.

“No.” Eli adjusted the collar of his jacket for a third time in as many minutes, grimacing at Luke. Eyes softer than the firm downturned line of his lips. “But open the door anyway.”

Luke gave a brief nod, and pushed the button. He strode out the door with the air of calm confidence he was not entirely sure he believed he had. The heavy tropical air hit him like a physical blow. Underneath the metallic stench of engine fuel Luke could pick up a faint smell of sweet flowers in the wind. He strode across the pristine atoll with military precision, eyes fixed to the stormtrooper in front of his goal. He could feel Eli jogging to keep up with him, despite the other man’s longer legs.

Palm trees lined either side of the walkway but quickly gave way to pristine white sand beaches. 

Luke would not allow himself to be distracted by the beauty of this place. There was too much at stake for indulgence today. Scarif’s data centre was an ugly gash across the cloudless blue sky. It rose up from the flat Islands some 100 stories, dark and imposing- like all Imperial architecture.

As they approached the blast doors, Luke fished to forged ID cards Eli had built for the two of them from his pocket. He handed them over to the captain.

“Trooper” deliberately lowering his voice, Luke looked at the men in armour, trying to look dismissive. Eli stood just behind him looking surprisingly bored considering the waves of nervous energy Luke could feel pouring from the other man in waves.

“Ready for your beach holiday, sir?” The trooper spoke with a rich Mandalorian accent and Luke could hear the warm smile behind his mask.

“Huh?” Taken aback by the clone’s friendly nature, Luke gave a comical grimace.

Another clone gave a jovial laugh behind the first. “Yeah. Sometimes I think the set up the data hub here because it’s a good place to relax after a hard mission.”

Luke’s frown deepened, distaste blooming in his belly.. He knew a couple of clones from the rebellion. Most of them stayed away from Luke, unwilling to risk getting close and having the Jedi killing code triggered. It was unlikely, but he could see why, after being forced to murder your friends, you would take precautions with an idealistic new recruit like he was at the time. It seemed an intentional cruelty to give these men the ability to bond, laugh and mourn when their sole purpose in life was to kill. 

The trooper handed their IDs back, his voice slightly colder than it was before. “Everything looks in order, sir. You can go through.”

Luke took the cards and slipped them back into his pocket. Nodding once, he headed through the door, Eli at his heels. He could hear the other man offer a quick apology as he paused.

They both walked in silence until they reached the blast doors that led to the data centre. Another guard stood at the door in an officer’s uniform. Not a clone, Luke noticed. They exchanged IDs and then they were in. As the door closed behind them, Eli turned to Luke.

“Done this before?” His voice was colder than the Jedi expected. Luke waved at the room in general, lingering for a moment on the corners where holo recorders were documenting their exchange.

“My job?” He shot back acerbically. “Yeah. Once or twice.” Luke watched as the other man’s eyebrows wrinkled, felt the hurt roll off him. He caught Eli’s eyes and tried convey his apology with his a turn of his head. Eli sighed and marched toward computer station. Luke followed just behind him.

Eli took a seat at the main station, Luke stood directly behind him, leaning over so he could block the right holo recorder and whisper in the other man’s ear.

“We’re looking for something called Project Stardust.” Luke leaned in close “pull data onto our drive, and then then destroy the original and the surrounding ecosystem. We don’t what the to find what we’re looking for.”

“You what?” Eli whispered, sounding horrified, he turned his head so his amber eyes met Luke’s pale blue. “That’s insane.”

They were so close their cheeks were nearly touching. Luke could feel the other man’s warm breath on his face. “Eli, please. You gotta trust me on this.”

“I really don’t, Liam.” Eli went to stand up, but Luke put a soft hand on his shoulder. 

“This might be the most important thing either of us ever do. Please.” Luke wasn’t too prideful to beg. They stared at each other longer than Luke would have liked before Eli sighed, turning back to the station and getting to work..

“My mother always said I was a sucker for a pretty face.”

—

Padmé hadn’t been able to sleep after Anakin had left. She’s changed from her senatorial dress into loungewear, then laid in bed staring at the ceiling for hours. With a heavy sigh she rolled out of bed. Perhaps some light exercises would help clear her mind.

After taking 20 minutes to run through a stretching and strengthening routine, she gave up on that too. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the face of the man she’d started calling The Other Skywalker. She rubbed her shoulder and frowned. 

“Dammit”. She picked up her comm and made a call.

—

“What the hell is this?” Eli turned to Liam, eyes wide, a wave of existential terror rolled over him. He felt hot and cold at the same time. He knew his voice and fingers were shaking. Liam was still hovering on his right hand side. For the first time since he’s met the other man, Eli wished he was far away from him.

“It’s a weapon capable of destroying an entire planet.” Liam’s voice was soft, as always, but now Eli could detect a hardness behind it, a cold determination Eli recognised from his childhood. He wasn’t sure he liked it.

“And what are you going to do about it?” Eli knew there was very little he could do to stop the other man. He was a slicer. He was fit, yes, but Liam was an athlete and a soldier. Eli had seen it in him the moment he laid eyes on him, admired him for it even. Such a sucker. 

Liam was suddenly in sitting a chair next to him, still close but with enough space that Eli felt like he could breathe again. Where’d that chair come from? Eli thought dumbly. He blinked took a deep breath and stared stonily at the other man. He wasn’t letting some violent zealot take a weapon of mass distraction and run wild through the galaxy with it. Before today, Eli didn’t think he had a red line in the sand when it came to this war. It turned out he did. And it was this. Whatever this was.

“A weapon like that doesn’t mean anything until you use it.” Liam sounded steady, calm, determined. It made Liam want to throw up. “So I’m gonna burn it from goddamn universe.”


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m this chapter we burn a candle at both ends, one very slowly one very quickly and one we burn in the future!

Padmé saw the two of them coming around the corner, chatting amiably. They were both carrying duffle bags slung over their shoulders. Anakin had had a wide smile on his face while Obi-Wan looked pinched in mock consternation. She folded her arms across her chest. She was very much over this secret marriage nonsense. Though she was glad her husband went to his old friend for help, she would much prefer that he simply trusted her with his feelings. Padmé moves out from behind the landing struts of the Twilight.

“Going somewhere?” 

Anakin’s face fell the moment he saw her. Obi-Wan gave her a friendly smile, but couldn’t hide the brief moment of weary disappointment that passed over his eyes when he saw her and Anakin together. 

“I’ll go warm up the engines, then.” The older man walked passed her, pulling her into a brief half hug. He whispered in her ear and squeezed her shoulder. “Good luck.”

With that Obi-Wan disappeared into the Twilight. 

“What are you doing here?” Anakin looked around furtively, his voice sharp. Padmé knew it was because he was worried but it didn’t mean she had the patience for it.

“I asked first.” She didn’t often treat Anakin like a subordinate but she was so tired of him using her for information and then running off on some ill conceived adventure.

“I’m going to find that guy, Padmé.” Anakin has the nerve to sound impatient with her. It was the last straw. “What if someone saw you coming into the temple?” 

“Let them see.” She whispered furiously, “I don’t care anymore. I’m your wife, Anakin. We’re a family and I don’t know about you, but that actually means something to me.” Anakin looked like he was about to interrupt. “No. I don’t want to hear it. This is a family emergency. I’ve taken family leave. I’m coming and in about thirty minutes, you’re going to apologise to me for running out of our home without so much as saying goodbye.” 

“Padmé-“ Anakin started, but she was already up the ramp and out of sight before he could finish.

—

Luke held Eli’s gaze. He could feel the other man’s conflict. Eli wanted to believe him, but Eli was a smart guy, a survivor. He knew better to trust somebody who tells you what you want to hear. 

“Look, you hold onto the the plans, okay? Burn the data from the system, keep the plans. Then give them to me or not, it’s up to you, but we gotta do this fast, alright?”

Eli leaned back, eyes steely and determined. Luke closed his eyes briefly. Wrong move. 

“I’m not making a copy.” 

The terror Eli had felt earlier had been replaced by a grim determination. Luke could feel it like a shield around the other man, he pinched the bridge of dingos nose, thinking. I need the construction location. Otherwise none of this matters. He sighed. If there's one thing Luke Skywalker learned from a lifetime of being lied to, it was that honesty and transparency was nearly always the best way forward.

“That information should hold the location of the construction site. They’ll have schematics on board, not connected to the network.” Luke paused, looking Eli in the eyes. He made his best calm and understanding face “If I’m going to blow up what they’ve built already, I need to know where I’m going.”

Luke could feel Eli’s will shift and harden as he slowly turned back toward the computer. He dropped his head to his chest. He gave himself just a moment to float through the relief flooding his body. His hand reached for Eli’s but Luke held himself back at the last minute. He should give the other man his space.

“Thank you-”

“Don’t” Eli turned back, his eyes glistening, a little wet. “Don’t even start.” His voice was brittle. Luke let out a guilty breath, but didn’t speak as he moved to door.

It took Eli less than five minutes to get the data disk containing the plans. Luke watched as the other man tucked the bulky case into his rucksack. For a brief moment their eyes caught and Luke felt hot shame roll through him. It was sudden and awful. He swallowed, unsure if it Eli’s feelings or his own. 

“Ready?” Luke’s voice came out strong and assured. He may have hurt a good person today, but they still had to get off this planet. The work was never done.

“Give me three minutes.” Eli’s voice was gruff when he spoke and he turned away quickly.

Not long after Eli stood abruptly, made his way past Luke and into the corridor. “We have about five minutes to get to the ship before the alarm goes off.”

It had taken them seven minutes to get to the terminal room. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. “We better get moving.”

—

“You know a my friend’s missing, right doc?” Han was confident he was hiding how worried he was from Doctor Aphra. 

The doctor turned around, a mocking grin on her face. “You see a another room anywhere, General?”

They were standing in a circular one room hut made of the roots of a gnarled tree. “Should I?”

“Unless our friend just dispersed into thin air, there has to be something.” Aphra cast her torch along the wall once more, looking closely for something out of place. Han didn’t like the the good doctor one bit, but he had to admit, she was a great grave robber.

“You often try and sell your friends to psychic cannibals?” Han turned to face one of the walls a fiddled with a one of twisted roots, unable to hide his nerves.

“Look- I’m helping, aren’t I?” Aphra’s voice sounded sharp- a little on edge.

“I don’t know. Are you?” Han turned back around, fear for his friend fuelling his frustration. He finished his turn just in time to see Chelli Aphra tumble backwards down a staircase, where just a moment ago there was nothing. 

“I guess you are helping.”

—

They’d nearly made it to the main entrance when a plummy voice called to them from behind.

“You there! Stop.”

Eli felt Liam’s hand at his elbow, urging him forward. “Keep walking.” He could feel Liam’s breath across his ears as he spoke. The other man’s hand left his arm as he stopped and turned to face the officer behind them.

“We’re in a hurry, Captain.” Liam had put on an impressive mid level Coruscant accent. “This had better be worth my time.”

“The whole archive floor is off limits.” Eli kept his head down and sped up keeping his pace just under a run. “I said stop!” 

“Captain Tarkin?” That was Liam again, his voice suddenly flat and cold.

“Stop your man, Command-” a blaster shot echoed through the empty hall. Instinctively, Eli ducked and turned toward the sound just in time to see the stranger fall to the ground, a bolt burn right between his eyes. For a moment time stood still. The stench of ozone and burned flesh hung in the air, Eli though he could the sound of the blast bounce back at them from eternity. Liam appeared frozen, arm extended, the middle had followed the dead man to the floor. Eli felt his breath catch in his throat.

In an instant the horrible tableau seemed to dissolve. After slipping his weapon back into it’s holster, Liam pulled two blaster packs from his belt and a length of duct tape. While he busied himself taping packs together he tossed his head toward, Eli.

“Get to the ship.” He said, and Eli swore he could hear an apology in the other man’s voice. “I’ll be right behind you.” 

Eli couldn’t bring himself to move. He’d never seen someone murdered before. He watched Liam as he stepped over the body and made his way to the control panel, shaking the bundle of plasma as he went, he watched as the other man pried open a control panel and placed his bundle inside. He watched as he Liam turned and sprinted towards him, he kept watching as Liam grabbed his arms and pulled him along. 

He watched long enough to see explosion and whiteness the corridor behind them collapse in flames.


	7. Chapter Six

The man below her thrashed as Asajj Ventress pulled him from under the dirty water once more. “C'mon Dav. Where'd he go?”

 

“I swear, I just sold him a ship!”  Asajj sighed feigning disappointment. 

 

“And then where did he  _ go, _ Dev?” she backed him into a corner, the human crawling on back side. She moved her foot between his legs slowly crushing his tender parts. “I know you know, so just tell me.” She bent forward, watching his panic stricken face intently. 

 

“Oh, God! Stop stop stop!” he cried. Asajj let up, just a bit.

 

“Yes?” She put on a pleasant voice, turning her head slightly.

 

“Ship's got a tracker. I never took it out. I can give you the codes.” Dev's words came out in a rush. He rummaged through his coat with shaking hands, pulling a thin data disk from his pocket. He held it out to her, eyes glistening.  “Please,” he whispered “please please please.”

 

She moved her foot away from the ship trader's genitals, a small pleased smile crossing her lips. Asajj took the disk from him, letting her fingers linger briefly around his trembling ones. “Thank you” she tucked the disk in her breast pocket. “Do you have any copies?” She reached out with the Force, battering his mind with her presence. 

 

He shook his head frantically. 

 

“Good.” she pulled out one of her sabers, and flicked the switch on. It ignited directly into the man's heart.

 

__

 

The lights in  _ Twilight's _ hold came on as Obi-Wan entered the ship, leaving Anakin and Padme at the bottom of the ramp. He looked around briefly before stowing his bag in his on board quarters.  He rubbed his hand tiredly over his face as he made his way to the cockpit, intent on starting the preflight checklist as soon as possible. It was beyond Obi-Wan how Padme and Anakin thought they were fooling anyone. Anyone with two eyes could tell they were having an affair. 

 

The Jedi Master slumped in the co-pilot’s seat, unwilling to risk  starting an argument with his former Padawan if he could help it. He couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy when the thought of the two people fighting outside the ship. He’d like to blame their indiscretion on youth, but Padme wasn’t that much younger than Obi-Wan. She, he thought viciously, should at least know better. He punched the sequence to warm up the engines, harder than necessary.  _ If the two of them weren’t so caught up in their own little holodrama _ , he thought, t _ hey may recognise they’re not alone in the universe _ .  Obi-Wan paused briefly, taking a deep breath. He should be happy for his friends, through fate, or coincidence or destiny, they had each other to lean on. They were based on the same planet, and had excuses to see each other. They had the chance he and Satine never did and he was happy for them. He really was, and if what they needed from him was to pretend he didn’t notice than he’d go on pretending ignorance until this damned war was over. 

 

“I take it your joining us, Senator?” Obi-Wan didn’t turn around as he spoke. He felt her small hand rest on his shoulder. 

 

“If you don't mind, Master Jedi.” Her voice was soft and carried a hint of apology in the tone. 

 

Obi-Wan turned to face her. “The more the merrier.” He could never stay upset with either of them. He liked them both too much.

 

Just as he was about to ask how she’d been, Anakin barged through the cockpit door like a gust of wind, strong and determined. He all but threw himself into the pilot’s chair.  He ran through the rest of the pre-flight check as if he was in a trance, completely focused, and blind to the world around him. 

 

“Where are we going?” Padme moved her hand from Obi-Wan’s shoulder as if she’d been burned and skittered back to the navigator’s seat. Obi- Wan watched her her go, suddenly very concerned. He looked over to Anakin who hadn’t yet looked up from the computer terminal. Anakin’s head shot up, making eye contact with Obi-Wan. The older man was not one to be be frightened easily. He’d seen war and was famous for his unflappability, but the look in his old friend’s eyes sent a shiver down Obi-Wan’s spine. There was something hot and vengeful in Anakin’s continence, something that frightened Obi-Wan to his core.

 

“We’re going to Scarif.”

 

__

 

Luke kept a steadying hand on Eli's elbow as they ran down the hall. The other man's mind was blank with terror and fury, but Luke had more pressing matters at hand. Just as they rounded the last corner before the landing fields they were met by a squad of Stormtroopers. Luke pulled up short as the lead trooper stepped forward, weapon at the ready but not, thankfully, pointed at him.

 

“Freeze!” the trooper shouted, more disciplined than Luke was used to seeing in Troopers.  He skipped and stuttered across the floor before coming to a stop. Mind blank for a moment, Luke cast his eyes back the way they'd come. Eli stood frozen next to him, both arms wrapped around the satchel he carried. 

 

The trooper's weapon rose just slightly, hesitating fractionally as it reached his chest, and Luke remembered what he looked like. “Don't just stand there, trooper, there's been an explosion.” He poured the force into his words and could feel the minds of the troopers bending to his will “Secure the area.” 

 

The muzzle of the lead trooper's blaster dropped as he and the other troopers came to attention, Luke's will guiding their actions. The troopers stopped, completely still and for a moment Luke didn't think it would work. He glanced at Eli, who was staring at him with renewed horror. The other man's violet eyes were fiery with feeling. Luke couldn't bare it and shot a look back at the troopers. 

 

“Go!” Luke shouted. This time when he spoke the soldiers left, streaming past the two men like water around boulders.  Luke waited for the last trooper to pass before nodding to himself. 

 

“Let's go.” He said quietly, making sure to make it sound like a suggestion.

 

“What are you?” Eli took a step back, just out Luke's reach. Luke let him go, for now. They didn't have time for this. “You're not a Jedi, but you have their powers.”

 

Luke winced, Eli's comment stung. He couldn't afford to be defensive about it now. “We have to go, Eli. We have to go now.”  he reached out to the other man. Eli stepped back.

 

“Did you do that to me?” Luke froze, horrified.

 

“No.” Luke was fierce in his denial. “Absolutely not. I wouldn't-” he paused, taking a breath “I don't like doing that at all.”

 

“But you could?” Eli didn't move. His eyes shifted back the way they'd come. 

 

Luke's eyes went wide, “It doesn't work like that.” His gestured around the hall carelessly, trying to encompass the whole of the Force in one movement. “The person has to be suggestible. My first teacher used to say it only worked on the weak willed.”

 

“So you didn't because you can't?” Eli looked resolved, angry. He took another step back.

 

“I don't know. I never really know until I try.” Luke could see the question forming in the way Eli shifted his feet. “I never wanted to try with you.”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Eli shot back.

 

“It means what I said.” Luke wasn't sure how much time they had, but he knew they didn't have the luxury to have this conversation now. “I promise you, on the graves of my family, I promise I will answer you questions once we're in hyperspace. Just let me get us to hyperspace, alright?”

 

Eli's eyes narrowed for a brief moment, before casting back the way they'd come. “Fine.” He ground out, barely audible, before marching toward their escape. 

 

Luke ran a hand over his face as he followed the other man. “Way to go, dummy.” With one last glance around the hallway he took off after Eli.

 

They were lucky. They didn't run into anyone else getting the airfield. 

 

\--

 

They’d been in the room for hours and hadn’t turned up anything. As far as Aphra could tell it was some sort of meditation chamber. It wasn’t uncommon in Jedi temples to have an entrance, followed by a quiet that led on to a journey or lesson of some kind. She often thought that, for a religion primarily concerned with the interconnectivity of the universe, the Jedi spent a whole lot of their time compartmentalising things. 

 

So far Chelli had had Solo vid the room- what little there was, gone over floor with a fine brush, inspected the staircase she’d unceremoniously fallen down and was now just randomly pushing on the wall. Hoping something would happen. The only thing they’d found so far was an abandoned torch, which Solo confirmed was Luke’s. 

 

“Hey, Temple” Chelli nearly jumped out of her skin when Solo shouted. “What did you do to my friend?” she watched as he walked over and punched a wall. Clearly more for show than anything else.

 

“Wow, good plan.” Chelli rolled her eyes. “Most ancient temples give up their secrets once you abuse them.”

 

Just then, the ground shook and dropped, landing them both firmly on their backsides, as the stair retreated up. Chelli looked around the room to see a number of small alcoves.

 

Solo smirked. “You were saying?”

  
  


__

 

Eli followed Liam into the cockpit of their small ship. The other man was already at the controls preparing for liftoff. Eli hugged the bag holding the plans- the plans Liam had murdered a man for- closer to his chest. 

 

“You should strap in.” Liam lifted his eyes briefly. “This is gonna gonna get hairy.”

 

“You said-” 

 

“I know what I said and I promise I’ll tell you, once we’re safe in hyperspace, but right now I have to get us off planet alive.”  Eli snorted at that. He couldn’t leave, though. He was in it until the end now. Wordlessly, Eli moved to the copilot seat and strapped himself in. The ship lifted off almost immediately after he sat down. 

 

As the ship shot toward space the comm system went mad. A voice blared from the speaker. “ _ Light  Dancer _ , return to port immediately or you will be shot down.” The voice demanded. “I repeat, return to port for inspec-” Liam flipped the comms off. 

 

“I may need you to man the cannons on this.” Liam looked at him briefly and gave Eli a small smile.

  
  


“I’ve never-” the ship took a tight spin, they were still in atmosphere so Eli felt the full force of the planet’s gravity weighing down on him. Two shot past their bow. 

 

“Then just hold on.” 

 

Eli quickly lost track of the escape, all he knew is they were still flying when, out of nowhere, a light freighter appeared directly in front of them. Liam swore and pushed the ship into a deep dive, spinning desperately away from the planet and the freighter, which turned to to follow them immediately. Eli looked over to the other man to see him flying one handed, frantically entering codes in the into the nav computer, a steady stream of curses coming from him as he multi tasked. 

 

The ship shuddered, as if hit by something, and steadied out. “What was that?” Eli sounded shrill to his own ears. 

 

“Not gonna stay to find out” Liam muttered, reaching for the hyperspace controls, while gunning sublights at the same time, if felt as if they were towing something behind the, Eli watched, transfixed as Liam sent them into hyperspace.


	8. Chapter Seven

Anakin cursed as they came out of hyperspace, directly into the path of a small trading ship. He quickly pulled the thrusters toward himself, sending the Twilight into a spiral toward Scarif. In the copilot seat, Obi-Wan was already priming the cannons. Padme, buckled into the navigator's seat, gave a small gasp and the gravity modules struggled to compensate for the abrupt change in speed and direction. Halfway through the first spiral he readjusted their trajectory and fell in line with the smaller ship. He could feel the now familiar presence of the stranger, focused on escape. Anakin wouldn't allow that.

 

“On my signal, release the tow cable.” Obi-Wan sent Anakin a sharp look but set to work on the controls immediately. In front of them Anakin watched as the other pilot gunned their ship into a tailspin away from him. Whoever was flying was very good, but he was pushing the smaller freighter to its limits. Anakin rolled the Twilight on its back and pulled the thrusters, closing the distance between the two quickly. Just before the other ship juked suddenly to the left, anakin felt a ping in the force.

 

“Now!” he shouted and a split second later, Obi-Wan released the tow cable and began reeling the smaller ship toward the Twilight. There was another jolt in the force as something shifted. Behind him, Padma gasped.

 

“Oh god” she whispered. In front of the Twilight the other ship jumped into hyperspace. The energy from the hyperdrive skittered along the tow cable pulling them into the swirling miasma of subspace. They had no way of knowing where they'd end up. Anakin couldn't bring himself to care. He was closer now than ever to finding out who the stranger really was. Was he Anakin's brother or some pretender trying to find fame?

__

 

Once in hyperspace, Luke turned to Eli, a little nervous. Their eyes met and Luke immediately looked away again, overwhelmed with shame. He reached his hand to his lips to hide his awkwardness, only to realise it was shaking. He paused for a moment, staring at his fingers. For a moment, he could see Tarkin’s eyes- empty and cold- staring back at him, a gaping hole in his forehead. 

 

“-I think I’ve been pretty patient here.” Eli’s voice pulled Luke from his thoughts. Luke dropped his flesh hand to his lap, covering it with his mechanical one. Nervously, he spun the pilot seat back and forth with little furtive pulls from his feet.  “What the hell is going on?” The other man’s voice was higher pitched than usual, a little panic coming through in his tone.

 

Luke let out a long breath. He knew he couldn’t tell Eli the whole truth, but he also couldn’t bring himself to lie to the other man. “The man I shot was Captain Willuff Tarkin. If he had survived he would have been given control of the Death Star.” Eli looked at him expectantly. “The Death Star is the thing whose plans we just stole.”

 

“I know that” the other man said sharply “I can read. How do you know that?”

 

Luke ignored him for a moment, trying to organise his thoughts. “Tarkin would have used it to blow up Alderaan. Without warning, he’d have used that thing to murder 4 billion people.” 

 

“How-”

 

“I saw it. Or the aftermath. He turned the planet into an asteroid field.” 

 

There silence. “Is this some sort of Jedi vision thing? Is that what this is? Are you fucking with me?”

 

“I'm not- I don’t- It’s complicated.” Luke waved his hand around the cockpit, feeling lost “All I know is that I have to stop it. All of it.” 

 

“All of what?” Eli looked increasingly worried. “This is insane. You’re saying you had a vision of the future and now you’re on a quest to stop a genocide? That’s delusional.”

 

Luke let out a small laugh, slightly hysterical laugh.  “Believe it or not, you are not the first person to tell me that.” 

 

Eli stopped, his eyes wide. Luke could feel an uneasy tension pressing down on him from the other man. As Luke watched, the Eli sat up straighter, a cold determination falling over is continence.  

 

“Prove it.” Eli held his chin high, stubbornness pouring from his Force Signature in waves.

 

Luke blinked twice, a small laugh bubbled out of him before he could stop it. Surprise and affection overwhelming him briefly.  A sharp look from the other man pulled him back to reality. "Sorry." Luke looked sheepishly out the viewport, then briefly back to Eli. "Sorry. I don't know what you want."

 

"Prove to me you're serious." Eli paused, leaning forward, and edge of desperation in his voice. "Prove what you've said is real." 

 

Luke stopped, something tugging at the back of his mind, a vague insistence that he knew would resolve itself into something sharp and urgent if he gave it his full attention. Something was about to happen, but something was happening right in front of him. For a brief, uncharacteristic moment, Luke found himself paralysed by indecision. It was not a feeling he liked much at all. “How am I supposed to do that?” 

 

“I don’t know.” Eli threw his hands in the air. "Who wins next year's shock all finals?"

 

Luke stopped, taken aback "Are you-" that gentle tugging at the back of his mind reared up, bright and urgent,drawing is attention to the hyperdrive controls. Something was very wrong. He pulled up the engine readings, scrolling through quickly.

 

"Are you even-" Eli's incredulity was interrupted by the sound of a blaring alarm. "What is that?"

 

"Hyperdrive is overheating." Luke said, translating the data for the other man with increasing worry. "It looks like our subspace bubble is carrying too much mass." Luke turned around just in time to see the temperature alarm in the cargo hold start to blare.  He sucked his teeth, equal parts scared and frustrated, but he kept his voice even "That's not great."

 

__

 

Eli's universe was blaring alarms and the hypnotic swirl of hyperspace. To stop himself from losing his lunch or crying he focused on the one steady thing in the whole ship. Liam was busily pushing buttons, talking all the while. It was only when he pulled away and waved his hand in front of Eli's face that he considered what Liam was saying could be important.

 

"Is there anything you need from your bunk?" The tone of Liam's told Eli he'd missed something.

 

"What?"

 

Liam put both hands on Eli's shoulders, staring at him intently. "I have to pull us out of hyperspace. You go to the escape pod and wait for me. I have some things to grab from the hold before I eject the reactors. Watch the radiation gauges. If it goes about 80% don't wait for me anymore." Eli blinked, trying to catch up. "This trash can only has one escape pod. So you have to get in and make sure the plans go with you. I'm gonna say it again. Wait for me as long as you can, but if I don't make it by the time the gages reach 80% you go without me. Okay?"

 

"Are you going back there for your stuff?" 

 

"And to eject the cores. Anything you need me to grab?"

 

"You're going back there to get your stuff." Eli's voice was flat. He was stuck in hyperspace on ship that was on fire with a madman.

 

"Yeah. And this part is important." Liam tapped him on the cheek with two fingers, a gentle slap. Eli pulled away, offended. "You're going to sit in the escape pod with plans and wait. If the radiation saturation hits 80% you go. Do you want me to grab anything from your bunk?"

 

"Don't hit me." Eli scrunched his face up.

 

"Sorry." Liam had the decency to look chagrined.

 

"My bag." Eli said, taking a deep breath. "It has all my stuff in it."

 

"Great. Good. Got it." Liam's eyes, Eli realised, didn't match his tone. He looked scared. "What are you gonna do?"

 

"I'm going to go the escape pod with the plans and wait for you." The two men have each other a long look, a whole ocean of feeling stretched out between them.  "And if the radiation saturation hits 80% before you get there, I go without you."

 

Liam's answering smile was soft and vulnerable Eli hadn't seen before "I promise I'll be quick. Now hang on."

 

Liam spun the pilot's chair around with a dramatic flair. 

 

__

Obi-Wan cursed quietly, a hand braced on a bulkhead as the view in front of him twisted madly, the Twilight's artificial gravity pushing him back into the copilot's seat. Occasionally he could see the other ship spewing blue ether from the engine tumble around them. He could see the bright line of the tow cable tying the two ships together in a deadly spiral. On the other side of the cockpit he could hear Anakin mirror his curse as the younger man tried to gain control of his ship. Nausea rising is his gut, Obi-Wan forced his hand from the bulkhead to the control panel, slamming his hand down on the tow cable release, sending the other ship and it's malfunctioning hyper rive hurtling away from them. 

 

The counterbalance removed, Anakin was able to stabilise Twilight in under a minute, orienting her nose to follow the trajectory of they're unfortunate counterparts. "Guh." Obi-Wan uttered. "ugh"

 

Anakin was already out on the comms. "Padme?" He nearly shouted, urgency colouring his tone. "Are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine." Her tinny voice echoed through the speaker "I'm coming up."

 

Obi- Wan leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the panel and breathing through the tight roiling knot in his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath through his nose. Gods, but he hated flying. Just as he got his breathing back under control the external comms began to alarm. He glanced over at Anakin, whose eyes were following the trajectory of the Light Dancer as it spun off into space. Obi- Wan flipped open the chanel and the cockpit was filled with an automated voice message. Followed immediately by a panicked male voice. 

 

“-and there’s only one escape pod.” Both men turned as Padme entered the cockpit, sitting down quietly behind them. There was a shaky breath through the tannoy before the voice started again. “Please help.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look. I know it's been ages and it's not Kuch, but I'm trying okay?? 😘


End file.
